Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

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Real Jewish Brides: Erin on looking beyond ourselves

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Erin will be marrying Josh on 1st November 2020 at Congregation Beth Israel, in Charlottesville, VA, USA. Click here to read all Erin’ planning posts to date.

THREE FACTS: (1) Erin and Josh are planning an outdoorsy fall wedding on a budget in Virginia’s Shenandoah mountains. (2) Erin recently completed her conversion to Judaism, and she and Josh are looking forward to filling their big day with Jewish traditions while keeping it enjoyable and understandable to friends and family from all backgrounds. (3) Erin is a member of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club!


Sometimes as a bride, it can be really easy to become laser-focused on your wedding. Sure, you usually are still working, still maintain friendships and our relationships, but a bride (myself very much included.)

But right now, it seems like the world is conspiring to ask us to look beyond ourselves. Beyond our weddings.

There’s a pandemic that has all but stopped our cities. A pandemic that has left people away from their loved ones for months, without jobs, sick, and sometimes even dead.

In the United States, where I live, people are seizing the moment and protesting systemic racism and police brutality. Taking to the streets, even in the midst of a pandemic, because once again we feel like we have had enough.

So where does a wedding fit into all of this? Honestly, I think this is a question my fiancé and I are still fully sorting out.

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A Gift from Smashing The Glass to every Bride-to-be!

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Karen-Cinnamon
Seven years ago I hit the ‘go live’ button on my very first blog post (and if you’re wondering what it was – it’s the real Jewish wedding of my brother to his incredible wife, [and my one-in-a-million sister-in-law], Lee Ann… Just the most gorgeous wedding for very many reasons!)

Seven years later Smashing The Glass has  grown beyond my wildest dreams. We are a superwoman team of three (shout out to the amazing Emily and Dimtria!) with offices in London and New York City, and the sky is the limit!

Birthdays mean presents so today, Monday June 1, I’m gifting a FREE 30 day membership to STG’s Brides Club to 100 brides-to-be.

The doors to free entry close this Thursday so do grab one of the 100 spaces before then:

Inside Brides Club you’ll experience everything you need to move forward with wedding planning during the pandemic including:

  • Community
  • Connection
  • 1:1 wedding planning guidance with me
  • Pandemic planning resources
  • Weekly Yoga
  • Wedding discounts
  • Live Bridal Masterclasses
  • Social get-togethers (virtual and in-person)
  • Everything you need to get through this uncertain time
  • And the excitement you deserve to feel when you’re wedding planning!

Below are just a few comments from our Brides Club members about their experience of the community – it will knock your socks off!

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A Romona Keveza Bride for an Indian-Jewish Wedding at Bel Air Bay Club, Los Angeles, CA

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Wendy-and-Nagesh-Bel-Air-Bay-Club
We love it when a couple works to combine their backgrounds into a totally unique wedding that’s 100% them, so naturally we are so excited to feature today’s beautiful Indian-Jewish wedding of Smashing The Glass Brides Club member Wendy, who works on HR software, to Nagesh, who works in healthcare data analytics.

Wendy is Jewish, Nagesh is Indian, and the pair made it top priority to ensure both cultures were represented in their celebration. They incorporated Hebrew and Hindi text wherever they could, and used symbols that reflected both cultures throughout their stationery and design. For their rehearsal dinner, they held an Indian sangeet, a musical pre-wedding party, at an Indian restaurant. The couple wore traditional Indian dress and encouraged their guests to follow suit, and they even brought in Indian dancers to help get everyone on the dance floor.

Then, the next day, the pair had the most stunning outdoor chuppah overlooking the Pacific Ocean – seriously, don’t miss the epic imagery from photographer Laurie Bailey and videographer Yours Truly Media – with so many beautiful personal touches, from their cantor, who officiated, including the couple’s own words about their hopes for married life that she’d requested they write in advance, inviting friends and family to read the seven blessings in English after their cantor read them in the original Hebrew, and using Wendy’s great-grandparents’ gold wedding bands.

And did we mention that Wendy looked absolutely stunning in her Romona Keveza gown? Because she most definitely did.

Take it away, STG Brides Club member Wendy! (and if you want to join Brides Club (STG’s members-only community that removes wedstress and indecision, and gives you what you need to plan with confidence, join here. We’re closing the doors to free entry on Thursday so now is the time!).


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How We Met

Wendy, the bride: Nagesh and I met in our MBA program at the University of Maryland in 2015. We hit it off as soon as classes started and the rest is history!

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The Virtual Bridal Retreat Has Started!

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Virtual-Bridal-Retreat
Our Virtual Bridal Retreat has started and the energy inside is the AMAZING!

There’s still time to join, so if you want to feel excited about wedding planning again, and you want to feel relaxed, renewed, and make your uncertain wedding plans a certainty, join the retreat here.

It’s FREE for brides-to-be caught up in the pandemic, and it’s guaranteed to bring back the excitement to wedding planning again! Even in the face of uncertainty.

Nourish yourself, make your uncertain wedding plans a certainty, and surround yourself with lots of other brides whose weddings are impacted by the pandemic, for positive and uplifting support…. I’ll see you in there!

The virtual bridal retreat is happening one time only from May 29-31.

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An Alon Livne Bride for an Elegant Dinner-Meets-Music Festival Jewish Wedding at the David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem, Israel

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Sapir-and-Steve-David-Citadel-Hotel-Jerusalem
We always love seeing how Jewish wedding pros plan their own big days – and the wedding of Tel Aviv-based event planner Steve Bar, who has a production company focused on weddings, bar\bat mitzvahs, and corporate events, and bride Sapir, who works in real estate, does not disappoint.

Together, Steve and Sapir planned a breathtaking affair they conceptualized as elegant traditional dinner-meet- music festival, reflecting their shared connection to Judaism and love of music, as well as the bride’s childhood in Europe, which inspired some of the more formal touches, like crystal chandeliers and over 1000 (!) candles.

Oh, and did we mention their chuppah overlooked the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem? Photographers Yaniv Cohen of Dynamica Studio and Shay Ohayon photographed the day so beautifully, and videographer Ronen Abayev created the couple’s fab trailer.

We’re also totally obsessed with Sapir’s TWO gorgeous gowns from beloved Israeli designer Alon Livne. For the chuppah, she opted for a traditionally romantic number heavy on the lace and tulle – and topped with a 5-meter long veil! Then, for the reception, she changed into a sleek, contemporary strapless number, which she reports as perfect for dancing. We’ll let her fill you in on the rest…

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A Jerusalem Wedding 

We chose to get married in Jerusalem at the David Citadel Hotel. We picked this location because of several reasons. First, we had our first date in Jerusalem at the restaurant of the Mamilla hotel which is right around the corner.

Second, we are very connected to the Jewish religion and having our chuppah in front of the walls of Jerusalem was magical.

Third, most of our guests and family are from Tel Aviv + the surrounding areas and abroad.  Since most of our guests never been to a wedding in Jerusalem, we chose to do something different and create a whole experience for them, starting with a beautiful wedding on Thursday evening and ending in a Jerusalem weekend with our friends and family.

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